Hero
by T. Oswin-Oswald
Summary: A little something I wrote based on the after credit scene from Captain America: Winter Soldier. SPOILER ALLERT! DONT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE SEEN WINTER SOLDIER! Please excuse any and all spelling and/or grammar flubs. Review :)


He stared at the glass picture with his face etched on the on it. "James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes," the plaque read. An audio track played over the speaker system: "James Buchanan Barnes was the only one of Cap's howling commandos to give his life for his country."

_Bucky,_ he thought. _That's my name._

He continued to read, hoping to learn as much as he could about himself. A group of kids ran up and stood next to him. He looked away, trying to remain invisible.

"See," the only girl in the group said, she looked to be about six years old. "It says Bucky was a hero."  
"Yeah but that's not true," the boy replied. "He didn't have any powers! He just went and died."  
"You don't need powers to be a superhero!" The girl shouted.  
"Yes you do!" The second boy shouted. "He's not as cool as Captain America." With that, the two boys ran off, shouting mock orders to their "battalion".

The little girl remained, staring at the glass picture. "He is too a hero." She said, more to herself than anybody else. Then she hung her head and began to cry silently.

Bucky sighed heavily. All he wanted was a few moments of peace to try and wrap his head around things. Now he had a small girl crying beside him. "Kid," he said sternly. "Stop the crying will you?"  
"I can't." She replied.  
"Why not?"  
"Because they said Bucky wasn't a hero."  
"So?" Bucky asked sharply. "What does Bucky have to do with anything?"  
"Daddy was like Bucky. He didn't have superpowers, but he went across the water to fight bad guys."  
"So, asks your dad to shut them up."  
"He can't."  
"WHY?!" He snapped; this was getting ridicules.  
"Daddy was killed by the bad guys."  
Bucky fell silent, he stared at her, big tears rolled down her cheeks.  
"Mommy said that Daddy loved Bucky when he was a little boy, and he always wanted to fight bad guys like Bucky did."  
"He was a soldier?" Bucky asked. She nodded, her bottom lip puckered as she held back sobs. "Daddy didn't have any powers."  
"So?"  
"Those boys said you need powers to be a hero. Daddy didn't have powers. I don't want Daddy not to be a hero." She pressed her little fists to her eyes and sobbed aloud.

Something inside Bucky died. He couldn't bear to see her like this. He knelt down beside her. "Kid," he said, she didn't look at him. He gently grabbed her shoulder and turned her towards him, her fists remained over her eyes. "Listen," he said. "I don't know a lot about this Bucky guy, and I don't know a lot about your dad, but I have learned something about heroes. Okay, a hero is someone who doesn't give up on what he believes in…even when that thing has been turned against him. A hero doesn't walk away and give up. A true hero won't let anyone tell him that that someone isn't worth saving anymore. He fights, even when the odds are against him and he's sure to lose." She moved her fists from her eyes. "Your dad was a hero. He believed in something bigger than himself. He believed in a world without bad guys and villains. He believed in making a better world for _you_." His eyes burned with tears. "Don't _ever_ let anyone tell you your dad wasn't a hero." The girl nodded and innocently wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"Okay," Bucky said standing up. As he stood, he bumped into someone who had moved over to read the plaque better, knocking his baseball cap off. The little girl picked it up and handed it to him. She stared at him for a moment, in pure awe. "Bucky." She breathed. Bucky snatched the hat from her and placed it back on just as a young woman came running up.

"Jessie!" She called. She knelt down and hugged the little girl. "You can't run off on Mommy like that honey. I was so worried. Baby, have you been crying?"  
"I was but I'm okay now. Bucky cheered me up." She pointed in his direction, but only the plaque remained. The man had gone. "You came to talk to Bucky?"  
"Yes, I told Bucky about Daddy."  
"And what did Bucky say?"  
"That Daddy fought the bad guys for me! He fought them so I would be safe." She flung her arms around her mother's neck. Her mother held her tight. "Daddy was a hero!" Jessie said.

Outside, Bucky crossed the busy D.C. street. He tasted something salty in his mouth; a tear. He felt things he thought were out of his ability to feel; emotion.


End file.
